Devices, systems, and methods for transmitting vehicle data

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for platooning vehicles are described. In some aspects, vehicles use sensors to determine a gap between each other. In response to the gap increasing beyond a threshold amount, and a threshold amount of torque being commanded by each of the vehicles, reducing the amount of torque being commanded by the front vehicle. The gap may be determined at least in part by sensors such as a radar, a lidar, and/or a camera. These sensors may be mounted on either a rear vehicle in the platoon, or a front vehicle in the platoon.

BACKGROUND

Enabling a vehicle to follow closely behind one vehicle safely throughpartial or full automation has significant fuel savings, safety, and/orlabor savings benefits, but is generally unsafe when a driver tries todo this manually. Presently, during normal driving, vehicle motion iscontrolled either manually, by a driver, or by convenience systems, suchas cruise control or adaptive cruise control. The various types ofcruise control systems control vehicle speed to make driving morepleasurable or relaxing, by partially automating the driving task. Someof these systems use range sensors and/or vehicle sensors to control thespeed to maintain a constant headway relative to the leading vehicle(also referred to herein as a front vehicle). In general, these cruisecontrol systems provide minimal added safety, and do not have fullcontrol of the vehicle (in terms of being able to fully brake oraccelerate).

Driver control does not match the safety performance of even currentsystems, for several reasons. First, a driver cannot safely maintain aclose following distance. In fact, the relatively short distancesbetween vehicles necessary to get any measurable fuel savings results inan unsafe condition if the vehicle is under driver control, therebyrisking a costly and destructive accident. Further, the driver is not ascapable of maintaining an optimal headway as an automated system is. Infact, a driver trying to maintain a constant headway often causes rapidand large changes in command (accelerator pedal position for example),resulting in a loss of efficiency.

Thus, it would be desirable to have reliable and economical at leastsemi-automated vehicular convoying/platooning systems which enablevehicles to follow closely together in safe, efficient, and convenientmanner. While this is desired, various obstacles may cause such a systemto be difficult to implement, as will be described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the various aspects of the present disclosure, somedetailed description now will be provided, by way of illustration, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of vehicles transmitting data, inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram of a platooning system, in accordance withsome embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a platooning system, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow chart of an example process, in accordancewith some embodiments; and

FIG. 11 illustrates an example computer system, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toseveral embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presentinvention, including the description of a plurality of different aspectsof the invention, including, in some cases, one or more alternatives. Itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can bepracticed without implementing all of the features disclosed herein.

The Applicant has proposed various vehicle communication systems inwhich a second, and potentially additional, vehicle(s) is/areautomatically, or semi-automatically controlled in response to receivinginstructions from a first vehicle. By way of example, U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 15/605,456, 15/607,902; 13/542,622 and 13/542,627;U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/377,970 and 62/343,819; andPCT Application Nos. PCT/US2014/030770, PCT/US2016/049143 andPCT/US2016/060167 describe various vehicle systems in which a recipientvehicle is at least partially controlled by a provider vehicle (e.g., arecipient vehicle is a vehicle that receives data from a providervehicle, but it should be understood that a recipient vehicle can senddata to a provider vehicle). Some of these applications describeplatooning, wherein at least one vehicle follows closely behind another.In such cases, a recipient vehicle may be referred to as a trailingvehicle and/or a rear vehicle, and a provider vehicle may be referred toas a lead vehicle and/or a front vehicle. Each of these earlierapplications is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

One of the goals of platooning is typically to maintain a desiredposition between the platooning vehicles and/or a desired relative speedand/or time headway (e.g., a gap may refer to a distance, a headway, orboth). Thus, it should be appreciated that, herein, any reference to theterm “gap” could refer to a distance, a headway, or both. Further, whilethe term “maintain” is used throughout this disclosure, maintaining maymean staying within a gap (distance/headway), staying at a gap, and/orkeeping at least a certain gap. Further, a desired gap may include arelative distance, time headway, and/or angle/offset. A longitudinaldistance and/or time headway is frequently referred to herein as a“target gap”. That is, it is desirable for the trailing vehicle (e.g., arear vehicle) to maintain a designated gap relative to a specificvehicle (e.g., a lead vehicle). The vehicles involved in a platoon willtypically have sophisticated control systems suitable for initiating aplatoon, maintaining the gap under a wide variety of different drivingconditions, and gracefully dissolving (e.g., ending) the platoon asappropriate.

For the purposes of this application, the subtle yet importantdifference between controlling and commanding should be understood.Herein, the term commanding may be used to signify an action where adevice is ordered to do something, while controlling refers to devicesupervision and/or adjustment. For example, an engine may be commandedto provide 2,000 N·m as opposed to controlling, where an engine ensures2,000 N·m is being provided while potentially taking other variablesinto account and adjusting as needed such that the engine issubstantially (e.g., for the most part/about/close to) providing aparticular amount of torque, which in this case would be substantially2,000 N·m. Herein, if a system can command and/or control, either termmay be used for the ease of reading.

In some embodiments described herein, a vehicle may essentially controlsome or all of the functions of another vehicle using V2Vcommunications. Research in the field of V2V communications hasincreased in recent years. In some embodiments herein, a recipientvehicle controlled by a provider vehicle will receive data from theprovider vehicle including drive-by-wire commands. For example, aprovider vehicle may send data wirelessly to a recipient vehicle,wherein the sent data causes the recipient vehicle to apply a certainamount of throttle. As another example, a provider vehicle may send datato more than one vehicle (e.g., broadcast data), and such data maycontrol vehicles. For example, one vehicle may provide data to more thanone other vehicle causing the receiving vehicles to apply their brakes.

Herein, the term torque is used broadly to mean any portion of a systemthat may affect the torque of a vehicle, unless explicitly statedotherwise. For instance, the term torque may be used to describe, atleast: (1) engine gross torque, (2) engine net torque, (3) wheel torquefrom an engine, and (4) wheel torque from braking. Further, each ofthese may include gear/transmission/shifting information, and varioustypes of torque may be combined (e.g., wheel torque from an engine andwheel torque from braking may be combined and referred to as wheeltorque).

At a high level, torque is a rotational force. An engine's gross torque,as an example, is the twisting force that an engine can produce beforeparasitic losses from the drivetrain (although, in some embodiments, anengine's gross torque may be an amount of force applied by pistons to adrive shaft). An engine's net torque, for example, may be the definitionused by SAE standards J1349 and J2723, and may be the torque from anengine, measured at the same location as the gross torque (e.g., afterthe flywheel), when the engine is equipped with some or all of the partsnecessary for actual engine operation (e.g., when an engine is actuallyinstalled in a vehicle). An engine's torque is transmitted through agearbox, where it is multiplied with a gear ratio of an engaged gear,and produces a gearbox torque. It should be understood thatcommanding/controlling torque, as described herein, can apply toelectric vehicles, including electric vehicles that may employmultispeed gearing (e.g., a transmission capable of shifting gearratios). Next, torque can be measured at a differential, which thensends torque in multiple directions to the wheels. In some embodimentsvarious amounts of torque are actively directed to one or more wheels(e.g., commanding/controlling torque using a differential such as alimited-slip differential). The amount of torque directed to anyparticular wheel/set of wheels may be determined based on attributes ofa vehicle such as weight, the balance of a load, brake attributes, etc.Rotational force on a wheel may be referred to as wheel torque (e.g.,when torque from an engine, retarder, or foundation brake reaches avehicle's wheel). Wheel torque from an engine typically forces a vehicleto move forward (or backward if in reverse), or accelerate or decelerateif already in motion. However, wheel torque from a brake (e.g., afoundation brake) dampens wheel torque from an engine, and thus providestorque in an opposite direction from the engine torque. Since torque isa sum of all the individual torques acting on an object (e.g., nettorque), wheel torque may be a combination of engine torque, braketorque, and/or any other torques applied.

Thus, herein, the term torque can be used to describe, at least: (1) thegross torque of an engine (e.g., the torque an engine can produce beforeloss from the drivetrain), (2) the net torque of an engine (e.g., thetorque of an engine as it would be when installed in a vehicle includingstock ignition timing, fuel delivery, exhaust systems, and accessories),(3) wheel torque (e.g., from an engine, from braking, a combination ofthe two), and (4) any of the torques described above with or withoutgear/shifting information (e.g., torque multiplied by a gear ratio or anamount of change of torque when a gear ratio changes).

In some embodiments, commanding/controlling torque may assist withplatooning. When platooning, one goal is to maintain a desired positionbetween vehicles. This position may be based on time and/or distance(e.g., time headway, distance headway). Dissolving a platoon maycomprise commanding/controlling torque, ending a platoon, and/or causinga gap between vehicles to increase such that they are traveling at asafe distance.

In some embodiments, a gap is maintained by using vehicle-to-vehicle(V2V) communications to transmit information from a lead vehicle to arear vehicle. This information may include radar information indicatingthe current gap between two vehicles, along with information indicatingthe speed of the lead vehicle. With this information, along with atarget gap, a rear vehicle can apply throttle or brakes such that thecurrent gap is equal to the target gap.

As would be understood by one of skill in the art, maintaining a gapbetween two vehicles can be difficult, especially when the vehicles aretraveling long distances over different types of terrain. In someinstances, two platooning vehicles may be maintaining a desired gapwhile commanding 100% of the available torque. In such an instance if afront vehicle were to pull away from a rear vehicle (e.g., increase thegap), to return the gap to its desired state, either: (1) the rearvehicle would need to change gears, or (2) the front vehicle would needto slow down. In various embodiments, pulling away may be detected by anincrease in the gap, and/or a determination that a relative velocitybetween two vehicles has changed beyond a threshold amount. In someembodiments, the vehicles may not be communicating and a front vehicle'storque may be limited (as described elsewhere herein). In such anembodiment, for example, a front vehicle may detect the distance of arear vehicle using a camera.

In some embodiments described herein, a front vehicle in a platoon'storque may be reduced and/or limited such that a gap between theplatooning vehicles that has increased is returned to its desired state.In one or more embodiments, a front vehicle's torque may be reducedand/or limited in response to an increase in a gap above a thresholdamount, when at least two vehicles in a platoon are commanding 100% oftheir available torque. In other words, in some embodiments, reducingthe torque produced at by a front vehicle's power plant may only occurwhen both the front vehicle and a rear vehicle are producing a maximumavailable amount of torque.

As an example, which will be described again below with reference toFIGS. 4-9, situations where a gap grows when two vehicles are platooningand commanding a maximum amount of torque may occur when a gradeincreases (e.g., when two vehicles reach a hill). In some cases, a frontvehicle may be commanding a maximum amount of torque and reduce speedwhen it begins to travel uphill. In response to the front vehiclereducing speed, a rear vehicle may also reduce its speed (e.g., beforeit reaches the hill). When the rear vehicle then reaches the hill, itmay not be traveling as fast as the front vehicle was when it begantraveling uphill, and as a result its momentum may be less and its speedmay be reduced even more than the front vehicle's speed was reduced whenit reached the hill. As a result of the rear vehicle's speed beingreduced more than the front vehicle's speed was reduced, the gap betweenthe vehicles may grow. As described herein, to return the gap to itsdesired amount, the front vehicle may slow down (e.g., by reducingand/or limiting the amount of torque its power plant produces).

In some embodiments, it is envisioned that one or more vehicles may beprohibited from shifting during the example embodiments describedherein. For instance, in response to a desired gap growing above athreshold—while both vehicles are commanding 100% of their torque—afront, back, or both vehicles may be prevented from changing gear ratios(e.g., a driver may be prevented from changing gears).

In some embodiments, a determination that a front vehicle's torque willbe limited/reduced may be made at a rear vehicle, the front vehicle, orboth (e.g., it may be made at least at a platooning ECU, an engine ECU,a transmission ECU, etc.). In some embodiments, a determination may bemade based on information transmitted to a platooning ECU (on a frontvehicle and/or rear vehicle) from an engine ECU (on a front and/or rearvehicle) and/or transmission ECU (on a front and/or rear vehicle).

In some embodiments, a determination that a gap is growing may be madeat a front vehicle, a rear vehicle, or both. For example, components ona rear vehicle such as a forward-looking radar (FLR) may be used todetermine that a gap has grown beyond a threshold distance. In anotherexample, components on a front vehicle such as a rear facing camera maybe used to determine that a gap has grown beyond a threshold distance.

In some embodiments, a grade may increase while gap is growing and/orwhile a gap is returning to its desired amount. In such a case, anamount of torque produced by the front vehicle may shrink. Such anexample may occur when a grade of a hill increases while a gap isdecreasing to return to its desired amount. There, despite the reductionin torque produced by the front vehicle, the rear vehicle still may notreduce the gap to its desired amount, and as such the front vehicle'storque production may be limited/reduced further than the originalamount of limiting/reducing to allow the gap to return to its desiredamount.

In some embodiments, as a gap returns to its desired amount, the rate atwhich the gap shrinks may taper. For example, as a rear vehicle getscloser to a front vehicle, the rear vehicle may slow (or the frontvehicle may speed up) such that the desired gap is achieved smoothly. Inother words, rather than having a gap shrink at a constant speed—whichcould undesirably result in a gap shrinking too much—a gap may shrink ata first speed and as it approaches the desired amount it may shrink at asecond, slower speed.

In one or more embodiments, systems and methods described herein limittorque produced by a front vehicle to perform a draw-in (e.g., reduce agap and/or begin platooning) at a desired speed. Such an embodiment mayoccur in response to a request for a draw-in wherein a rear vehiclecannot (e.g., due to a vehicle system limitation), or should not (e.g.,due to a speed limit), increase its velocity. In some embodiments, a gapmay be greater than a desired amount, and a following vehicle a systemrequests a draw-in (e.g., either because a following vehicle is enteringa platoon or is already in a platoon and needs to reduce a gap). Itshould be understood that in some embodiments, this may apply to anysituation wherein one vehicle is controlling and/or commanding thetorque, brakes, and/or steering of another vehicle. In some embodiments,to allow a rear vehicle to draw-in, the torque in the front vehicle maybe reduced and/or limited (as described throughout this application).For example, two vehicles in a platoon may be traveling at a speed limit(and/or may be commanding all available torque) and the front vehiclemay need to reduce its torque such that a gap amount decreases (e.g., arear vehicle draws-in). In some embodiments, once a desired gap amountis achieved (or is close to being achieved), the torquelimiting/commands to reduce may be removed/ended. In some embodiments,after a desired gap is achieved or substantially achieved (e.g., +/−5%of the desired gap), systems and methods herein may cause the frontvehicle to return to its speed before its torque was limited/reduced.

In some embodiments, systems and methods described herein may be helpfulfor assisting multiple vehicles with the space in between them. Forexample, systems and methods described herein may assist with traffic bycausing vehicles to be spaced at a particular distance from each other.In one or more embodiments, at least semi-autonomous vehicles may desireto have a certain gap between them and one or more vehicles in front,behind, and/or to the sides of them. In such cases, vehicles maycommunicate with each other, infrastructure, and/or with a wirelessnetwork to determine their location, the location of other vehicles,and/or distances between themselves and other vehicles. Further, in someembodiments, one or more of the vehicles may be driven manually, and atleast one or more portions of the embodiments described herein may applyto one or more of the vehicles (e.g., if a rear vehicle slows down afront vehicle may have its torque reduced, even if the rear vehicle isbeing driven manually).

In various embodiments described herein, a front vehicle (including itstorque at any stage described herein) may be controlled/commanded atleast in part by: a driver, remotely (e.g., via a satellite, wirelessnetwork, another vehicle), using cruise control, and/or using adaptivecruise control.

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of vehicles transmitting data, inaccordance with some embodiments. FIG. 1. depicts multiple vehicles 110,112, 114, 116, 120, and 122. FIG. 1 also depicts a base station 130 anda network 140. In various embodiments, vehicle 110 may transmit data(also referred to as information) to other vehicles 112, 114, 116, 120,and 122 directly, via base station 130, and/or via network 140. Vehicle110 may also receive data from other vehicles 112, 114, 116, 120, and122 directly, via base station 130, and/or via network 140. In someembodiments, a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 112) may retransmit informationreceived from a first vehicle (e.g., vehicle 110) to another vehicle(e.g., vehicle 116) with or without additional information (e.g.,information generated at vehicle 112 in addition to information receivedfrom vehicle 110).

FIG. 2 illustrates an example system 200 including two vehicles capableof platooning and associated communication links. Vehicles 210 and 220are depicted by trucks which are capable of platooning, and cancommunicate with each other directly or through network 230. Directcommunication between two vehicles can occur wirelessly via DedicatedShort Range Communications (DSRC) (e.g., the IEEE 802.11p protocol),which is a two-way short to medium range wireless communicationstechnology that has been developed for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)communications. Of course, other communications protocols and channelsmay be used in addition to or in place of a DSRC link. For example, theinter-vehicle communications may additionally or alternatively betransmitted over a cellular communications channel such as 4G LTEDirect, 5G, a Citizen's Band (CB) Radio channel, one or more GeneralMobile Radio Service (GMRS) bands, one or more Family Radio Service(FRS) bands, Wi-Fi, Zigbee and/or any other now existing or laterdeveloped communications channels using any suitable communicationprotocols either alone or in combination.

FIG. 2 also includes a network operations center (NOC) 240. NOC 240 mayinclude one or more locations from which network monitoring, control,and/or management may be exercised over a communication network (e.g.,the cloud/a multi-tenant environment). NOC 240 can oversee a complexnetwork of vehicles, satellite communications, web applications, and/ormanagement tools. Users of NOC 240 may be responsible for monitoring oneor more networks, sub-networks, fleets of vehicles, and/or sub-fleets ofvehicles that may require special attention to avoid degraded service.For example, NOC 240 may receive information about various vehicles 210and 220 such as their locations and attributes, run various programsbased on the received information, and send information back to vehicles210 and 220, including indicating whether they are allowed to platoon.

In addition to NOC 240, client devices 252 (e.g., a smartphone ortablet), 254 (e.g., a desktop computer or terminal), and 256 (e.g., alaptop computer or terminal) may be used to send and/or receiveinformation about vehicles 210 and 220, NOC 240, or information fromcanonical sources such as the Internet (e.g., Google Maps or anotheronline map provider, a traffic provider, a weather provider, etc.).Client devices can be used to view attributes of vehicles 210 and 220such as their location, an estimate of their weight, their speed, anamount of engine torque, amount of applied brake, a destination, etc.

FIG. 2 also includes a satellite 260, which can send signals to network230, NOC 240, and/or vehicles 210 and 220. Satellite 260 may be part ofa satellite navigation system such as a global navigation satellitesystem (GNSS). GNSSs include the United States' Global PositioningSystem (GPS), Russia's GLONASS, China's BeiDou Navigation SatelliteSystem, and the European Union's Galileo. Based on information sent fromsatellite 260, systems described herein can determine locations ofvehicles 210 and 220.

Of course, it should be appreciated that the system described in FIG. 2is only an example, and that many other configurations may exist. Forexample, a NOC may assist with the monitoring and control of hundreds orthousands of vehicles, and many types of web applications may exist.

FIG. 3 illustrates and example system 300 including a platoon controller310 (also referred to as a platoon electronic control unit, a platoonECU, or a PECU). As described throughout this disclosure, a wide varietyof configurations may be used to implement platooning systems describedherein. The specific controller design can vary based on the level ofautomation contemplated for the controller, as well as the nature of andequipment available on the host vehicles participating in the platoon.FIG. 3 illustrates components of one possible configuration.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a vehicle control architecture thatcan be suitable for use with platooning tractor-trailer trucks. Thespecific controller, or platooning ECU, illustrated is primarilydesigned for use in conjunction with a platooning system in which bothvehicles include an active driver. The driver of the lead vehicle beingfully responsible for control of the lead vehicle. In some embodimentsthe driver of the rear vehicle may be responsible for steering the rearvehicle, but the platoon controller 310 is primarily responsible forcontrolling the rear vehicle's torque and braking requests during activeplatooning. However, as discussed herein, it should be appreciated thatgenerally similar control schemes can be used in systems whichcontemplate more automated control of one or both of the platoonpartners or which utilize vehicle control commands other than or inaddition to torque and braking requests.

In the example embodiment illustrated in system 300, a platooncontroller 310, receives inputs from a number of sensors 330 on thetractor and/or one or more trailers or other connected units, and anumber of actuator controllers 350 (also referred to as electroniccontrol units or ECUs) arranged to control operation of the tractor'spowertrain and other vehicle systems. An actuator interface 360 may beprovided to facilitate communications between the platoon controller 310and the actuator controllers 350. In some embodiments, one or more ofthe actuator interfaces 360 may be included in one or more of theactuator controllers 350 (e.g., an actuator interface may be included inan ECU). Platoon controller 310 also interacts with an inter-vehiclecommunications controller 370 (also referred to as an inter-vehiclecommunications ECU) which orchestrates communications with the platoonpartner and a NOC communications controller 380 (also referred to as aNOC communication ECU) that orchestrates communications with a NOC. Thevehicle also may have selected configuration files 390 that includeknown information about the vehicle.

Some of the functional components of the platoon controller 310 includegap controller 312, a variety of estimators 314, one or more partnervehicle trackers 316 and various monitors 318. In many applications, theplatoon controller 310 will include a variety of other components 319 aswell.

Some of the sensors utilized by platoon controller 310 may include GNSSunit 331, wheel speed sensors 332, inertial measurement devices 334,radar unit 337, lidar unit 338, cameras 339, accelerator pedal positionsensor 341, steering wheel position sensor 342, brake pedal positionsensor 343, and various accelerometers 344. Of course, not all of thesesensors will be available on all vehicles involved in a platoon and notall of these sensors are required in any particular embodiment. Avariety of other sensors 349 (now existing or later developed orcommercially deployed) may be additionally or alternatively be utilizedby platoon controller 310 in other embodiments.

Many (but not all) of the described sensors, including wheel speedsensors 332, radar unit 337, accelerator pedal position sensor 341,steering wheel position sensor 342, brake pedal position sensor 343, andaccelerometer 344 are relatively standard equipment on newer trucks(tractors) used to pull semi-trailers. However, others, such as GNSSunit 331 and lidar unit 338 (if used) are not currently standardequipment on such tractors or may not be present on a particular vehicleand may be installed as needed or desired to help support platooning.

FIG. 3 also illustrates various actuator controllers 350. It should beunderstood that, in various embodiments, some or all types ofcontrollers may be referred to interchangeably as electronic controlunits (ECUs). It should, however, be understood that some ECUs maycontrol actuators, some ECUs may control communications, some ECUs maymonitor sensors, and some may perform any combination thereof. Thus, itshould be appreciated that the system shown in FIG. 3 is merely one of awide variety of systems that may be used to control platooning.

Some of the vehicle actuator controllers 350 that platoon controller 310may direct at least in part include engine torque controller 352; brakecontroller 354; transmission controller 356; steering/automated steeringcontroller 357; and clutch controller 358. Of course, not all of theseactuator controllers will be available or are required in any particularembodiment and it may be desirable to interface with a variety of othervehicle actuator controllers 359 that may be available on the vehicle aswell. Therefore, it should be appreciated that the specific actuatorcontrollers 350 directed or otherwise utilized by the platoon controlleron any particular controlled vehicle may vary widely. Further, thecapabilities of any particular actuator controller (e.g. engine torquecontroller 352), as well as its interface (e.g., the nature and formatof the commands, instructions, requests and messages it can handle orgenerate) will often vary with the make and model of that particularactuator controller. Therefore, an actuator interface 360 is preferablyprovided to translate requests, commands, messages and instructions fromthe platoon controller 310 into formats that are appropriate for thespecific actuator controller hardware and software utilized on thecontrolled vehicle. The actuator interface 360 also provides a mechanismfor communicating/translating messages, commands, instructions andrequests received from the various actuator controllers back to theplatoon controller 310. In some embodiments, an appropriate actuatorinterface may be provided to interact with each of the specific vehiclecontrollers utilized. In various embodiments, this may include one ormore of: an engine torque interface 361; a brake interface 362; atransmission interface 364; a retarder interface 365; a steeringinterface 367; and/or any other appropriate controller interface 369. Insome embodiments, various controllers may be combined (e.g., in the caseof a chasses controller, or an engine ECU that also controls aretarder—which may obviate the need for a retarder ECU).

Large trucks and other heavy vehicles (e.g., class 8 vehicles)frequently have multiple systems for “braking” the truck. These includethe traditional brake system assemblies mounted in the wheels of thevehicle—which are often referred to in the industry as the “foundationbrakes.” Most large trucks/heavy vehicles also have a mechanism referredto as a “retarder” that is used to augment the foundation brakes andserve as an alternative mechanism for slowing the vehicle or to helpprevent the vehicle from accelerating down a hill. Often, the retardermay be controlled by the engine torque controller 352 and in suchembodiments, the retarder can be controlled by sending appropriatetorque commands (which may be negative) to engine torque controller 352.In other embodiments a separate retarder controller (not shown) may beaccessible to, and therefore directed by, platoon controller 310 throughan appropriate retarder interface 365. In still other embodiments, theplatoon controller 310 may separately determine a retarder command thatit sends to the actuator interface 360. In such embodiments the actuatorinterface will interpret the retard command and pass on appropriateretardation control commands to an Engine ECU or other appropriatevehicle controller.

The communications between vehicles may be directed over any suitablechannel and may be coordinated by inter-vehicle communicationscontroller 370. As described above, the DSRC protocol may work well.

The specific information transmitted back and forth between the vehiclesmay vary widely based on the needs of the controllers. In variousembodiments, the transmitted information may include the currentcommands generated by the platoon controller 310 such asrequested/commanded engine torque, and/or requested/commanded brakingdeceleration 382. They may also include steering commands, gearcommands, etc. when those aspects are controlled by platoon controller310. Corresponding information is received from the partner vehicle,regardless of whether those commands are generated by a platooncontroller or other suitable controller on the partner vehicle (e.g., anadaptive cruise control system (ACC) or a collision mitigation system(CMS)), or through other or more traditional mechanisms—as for example,in response to driver inputs (e.g., accelerator pedal position, brakeposition, steering wheel position, etc.).

In many embodiments, much or all of the tractor sensor informationprovided to platoon controller 310 is also transmitted to the platoonpartner and corresponding information is received from the platoonpartner so the platoon controllers 310 on each vehicle can develop anaccurate model of what the partner vehicle is doing. The same is truefor any other relevant information that is provided to platooncontroller 310, including any vehicle configuration information 390 thatis relevant to platoon controller 310. It should be appreciated that thespecific information transmitted may vary widely based on therequirements of platoon controllers 310, the sensors and actuatorsavailable on the respective vehicles, and the specific knowledge thateach vehicle may have about itself.

The information transmitted between vehicles may also includeinformation/data about intended future actions as will be discussed ingreater detail below. For example, if the lead vehicle knows it isapproaching a hill, it may expect to increase its torque request (ordecrease its torque request in the context of a downhill) in the nearfuture and that information can be conveyed to a rear vehicle for use asappropriate by the platoon controller 310. Of course, there is a widevariety of other information that can be used to foresee future torqueor braking requests and that information can be conveyed in a variety ofdifferent forms. In some embodiments, the nature of the expected eventsthemselves can be indicated (e.g., a hill, curve, or exit isapproaching) together with the expected timing of such events. In otherembodiments, the intended future actions can be reported in the contextof expected control commands such as the expected torques and/or othercontrol parameters and the timing at which such changes are expected. Ofcourse, there are a wide variety of different types of expected eventsthat may be relevant to the platoon control.

The communications between the vehicles and the NOC may be transmittedover a variety of different networks, such as a cellular network,various Wi-Fi networks, satellite communications networks and/or any ofa variety of other networks as appropriate. The communications with theNOC may be coordinated by NOC communications controller 380. Theinformation transmitted to and/or received from the NOC may vary widelybased on the overall system design. In some circumstances, the NOC mayprovide specific control parameters such as a target gap. These controlparameters or constraints may be based on factors known at the NOC suchas speed limits, the nature of the road/terrain (e.g., hilly vs. flat,winding vs. straight, etc.) weather conditions, traffic or roadconditions, etc. In other circumstances the NOC may provide informationsuch information to platoon controller 310. The NOC may also provideinformation about the partner vehicle including its configurationinformation and any known relevant information about its currentoperational state such as weight, trailer length, etc.

Lastly, with regard to FIG. 3, configuration file 390 may include a widevariety of information about the host vehicle that may be consideredrelevant to controller 310. By way of example, some of the informationmight include the vehicle's specification including such things asengine performance characteristics, available sensors, the existenceand/or type of platooning indicators (e.g., lights that indicate avehicle is platooning), the nature of its braking system, the locationof its GNSS antenna relative to the front of the cab, gear ratios,differential ratios etc.

FIG. 3 illustrates and example system 300 including a platoon controller310 (also referred to as a platoon electronic control unit, a platoonECU, or a PECU). As described throughout this disclosure, a wide varietyof configurations may be used to implement platooning systems describedherein. The specific controller design can vary based on the level ofautomation contemplated for the controller, as well as the nature of andequipment available on the host vehicles participating in the platoon.FIG. 3 illustrates components of one possible configuration.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a vehicle control architecture thatcan be suitable for use with platooning tractor-trailer trucks. Thespecific controller, or platooning ECU, illustrated is primarilydesigned for use in conjunction with a platooning system in which bothvehicles include an active driver. The driver of the lead vehicle beingfully responsible for control of the lead vehicle. In some embodimentsthe driver of the rear vehicle may be responsible for steering the rearvehicle, but the platoon controller 310 is primarily responsible forcontrolling the rear vehicle's torque and braking requests during activeplatooning. However, as discussed herein, it should be appreciated thatgenerally similar control schemes can be used in systems whichcontemplate more automated control of one or both of the platoonpartners or which utilize vehicle control commands other than or inaddition to torque and braking requests.

In the example embodiment illustrated in system 300, a platooncontroller 310, receives inputs from a number of sensors 330 on thetractor and/or one or more trailers or other connected units, and anumber of actuator controllers 350 (also referred to as electroniccontrol units or ECUs) arranged to control operation of the tractor'spowertrain and other vehicle systems. An actuator interface 360 may beprovided to facilitate communications between the platoon controller 310and the actuator controllers 350. In some embodiments, one or more ofthe actuator interfaces 360 may be included in one or more of theactuator controllers 350 (e.g., an actuator interface may be included inan ECU). Platoon controller 310 also interacts with an inter-vehiclecommunications controller 370 (also referred to as an inter-vehiclecommunications ECU) which orchestrates communications with the platoonpartner and a NOC communications controller 380 (also referred to as aNOC communication ECU) that orchestrates communications with a NOC. Thevehicle also may have selected configuration files 390 that includeknown information about the vehicle.

Some of the functional components of the platoon controller 310 includegap controller 312, a variety of estimators 314, one or more partnervehicle trackers 316 and various monitors 318. In many applications, theplatoon controller 310 will include a variety of other components 319 aswell.

Some of the sensors utilized by platoon controller 310 may include GNSSunit 331, wheel speed sensors 332, inertial measurement devices 334,radar unit 337, lidar unit 338, cameras 339, accelerator pedal positionsensor 341, steering wheel position sensor 342, brake pedal positionsensor 343, and various accelerometers 344. Of course, not all of thesesensors will be available on all vehicles involved in a platoon and notall of these sensors are required in any particular embodiment. Avariety of other sensors 349 (now existing or later developed orcommercially deployed) may be additionally or alternatively be utilizedby platoon controller 310 in other embodiments.

Many (but not all) of the described sensors, including wheel speedsensors 332, radar unit 337, accelerator pedal position sensor 341,steering wheel position sensor 342, brake pedal position sensor 343, andaccelerometer 344 are relatively standard equipment on newer trucks(tractors) used to pull semi-trailers. However, others, such as GNSSunit 331 and lidar unit 338 (if used) are not currently standardequipment on such tractors or may not be present on a particular vehicleand may be installed as needed or desired to help support platooning.

FIG. 3 also illustrates various actuator controllers 350. It should beunderstood that, in various embodiments, some or all types ofcontrollers may be referred to interchangeably as electronic controlunits (ECUs). ECUs will be described in further detail with regard toFIGS. 4 and 5. It should, however, be understood that some ECUs maycontrol actuators, some ECUs may control communications, some ECUs maymonitor sensors, and some may perform any combination thereof. Thus, itshould be appreciated that the system shown in FIG. 3 is merely one of awide variety of systems that may be used to control platooning.

Some of the vehicle actuator controllers 350 that platoon controller 310may direct at least in part include engine torque controller 352; brakecontroller 354; transmission controller 356; steering/automated steeringcontroller 357; and clutch controller 358. Of course, not all of theseactuator controllers will be available or are required in any particularembodiment and it may be desirable to interface with a variety of othervehicle actuator controllers 359 that may be available on the vehicle aswell. Therefore, it should be appreciated that the specific actuatorcontrollers 350 directed or otherwise utilized by the platoon controlleron any particular controlled vehicle may vary widely. Further, thecapabilities of any particular actuator controller (e.g. engine torquecontroller 352), as well as its interface (e.g., the nature and formatof the commands, instructions, requests and messages it can handle orgenerate) will often vary with the make and model of that particularactuator controller. Therefore, an actuator interface 360 is preferablyprovided to translate requests, commands, messages and instructions fromthe platoon controller 310 into formats that are appropriate for thespecific actuator controller hardware and software utilized on thecontrolled vehicle. The actuator interface 360 also provides a mechanismfor communicating/translating messages, commands, instructions andrequests received from the various actuator controllers back to theplatoon controller 310. In some embodiments, an appropriate actuatorinterface may be provided to interact with each of the specific vehiclecontrollers utilized. In various embodiments, this may include one ormore of: an engine torque interface 361; a brake interface 362; atransmission interface 364; a retarder interface 365; a steeringinterface 367; and/or any other appropriate controller interface 369. Insome embodiments, various controllers may be combined (e.g., in the caseof a chasses controller, or an engine ECU that also controls aretarder—obviating the need for a retarder ECU).

Large trucks and other heavy vehicles frequently have multiple systemsfor “braking” the truck. These include the traditional brake systemassemblies mounted in the wheels of the vehicle—which are often referredto in the industry as the “foundation brakes.” Most large trucks/heavyvehicles also have a mechanism referred to as a “retarder” that is usedto augment the foundation brakes and serve as an alternative mechanismfor slowing the vehicle or to help prevent the vehicle from acceleratingdown a hill. Often, the retarder may be controlled by the engine torquecontroller 352 and in such embodiments, the retarder can be controlledby sending appropriate torque commands (which may be negative) to enginetorque controller 352. In other embodiments a separate retardercontroller (not shown) may be accessible to, and therefore directed by,platoon controller 310 through an appropriate retarder interface 365. Instill other embodiments, the platoon controller 310 may separatelydetermine a retarder command that it sends to the actuator interface360. In such embodiments the actuator interface will interpret theretard command and pass on appropriate retardation control commands toan Engine ECU or other appropriate vehicle controller.

The communications between vehicles may be directed over any suitablechannel and may be coordinated by inter-vehicle communicationscontroller 370. As described above, the DSRC protocol may work well.

The specific information transmitted back and forth between the vehiclesmay vary widely based on the needs of the controllers. In variousembodiments, the transmitted information may include the currentcommands generated by the platoon controller 310 such asrequested/commanded engine torque, and/or requested/commanded brakingdeceleration 382. They may also include steering commands, gearcommands, etc. when those aspects are controlled by platoon controller310. Corresponding information is received from the partner vehicle,regardless of whether those commands are generated by a platooncontroller or other suitable controller on the partner vehicle (e.g., anadaptive cruise control system (ACC) or a collision mitigation system(CMS)), or through other or more traditional mechanisms—as for example,in response to driver inputs (e.g., accelerator pedal position, brakeposition, steering wheel position, etc.).

In many embodiments, much or all of the tractor sensor informationprovided to platoon controller 310 is also transmitted to the platoonpartner and corresponding information is received from the platoonpartner so the platoon controllers 310 on each vehicle can develop anaccurate model of what the partner vehicle is doing. The same is truefor any other relevant information that is provided to platooncontroller 310, including any vehicle configuration information 390 thatis relevant to platoon controller 310. It should be appreciated that thespecific information transmitted may vary widely based on therequirements of platoon controllers 310, the sensors and actuatorsavailable on the respective vehicles, and the specific knowledge thateach vehicle may have about itself.

The information transmitted between vehicles may also includeinformation/data about intended future actions as will be discussed ingreater detail below. For example, if the lead vehicle knows it isapproaching a hill, it may expect to increase its torque request (ordecrease its torque request in the context of a downhill) in the nearfuture and that information can be conveyed to a rear vehicle for use asappropriate by the platoon controller 310. Of course, there is a widevariety of other information that can be used to foresee future torqueor braking requests and that information can be conveyed in a variety ofdifferent forms. In some embodiments, the nature of the expected eventsthemselves can be indicated (e.g., a hill, curve, or exit isapproaching) together with the expected timing of such events. In otherembodiments, the intended future actions can be reported in the contextof expected control commands such as the expected torques and/or othercontrol parameters and the timing at which such changes are expected. Ofcourse, there are a wide variety of different types of expected eventsthat may be relevant to the platoon control.

The communications between the vehicles and the NOC may be transmittedover a variety of different networks, such as a cellular network,various Wi-Fi networks, satellite communications networks and/or any ofa variety of other networks as appropriate. The communications with theNOC may be coordinated by NOC communications controller 380. Theinformation transmitted to and/or received from the NOC may vary widelybased on the overall system design. In some circumstances, the NOC mayprovide specific control parameters such as a target gap. These controlparameters or constraints may be based on factors known at the NOC suchas speed limits, the nature of the road/terrain (e.g., hilly vs. flat,winding vs. straight, etc.) weather conditions, traffic or roadconditions, etc. In other circumstances the NOC may provide informationsuch information to platoon controller 310. The NOC may also provideinformation about the partner vehicle including its configurationinformation and any known relevant information about its currentoperational state such as weight, trailer length, etc.

Lastly, with regard to FIG. 3, configuration file 390 may include a widevariety of information about the host vehicle that may be consideredrelevant to controller 310. By way of example, some of the informationmight include the vehicle's specification including such things asengine performance characteristics, available sensors, the existenceand/or type of platooning indicators (e.g., lights that indicate avehicle is platooning), the nature of its braking system, the locationof its GNSS antenna relative to the front of the cab, gear ratios,differential ratios etc.

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate an example situations, as briefly described above,where a gap grows when two vehicles are platooning, commanding a maximumamount of torque, and reach a portion of road where a grade increases(e.g., a hill). In such a situation, torque may be limited and/orreduced. In various embodiments, limiting and/or reducing torque mayinstead be referred to as adjusting torque, commanding torque, orcontrolling torque (which is different than commanding, as describedabove). Moreover, rather than limiting and/or reducing torque, power,force, speed, and/or acceleration may be limited and/or reduced. In someembodiments, a reduction/limitation of torque may occur in response to achange in a gap distance, a rate of change of a gap, a communicationfrom one vehicle to another (front to back or back to front) that a gapis growing and/or either vehicle's torque is maxed out (e.g., 100% ofavailable toque is being requested/commanded), a map indicates a roadgrade is changing, and/or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) detects achange in a road grade. Further, in one or more embodiments, methods andsystems described herein may not occur in response to attributes suchas: the capabilities (e.g., an amount of torque) one or more of thevehicles may produce, a speed of one or more of the vehicles, a roadtype that one or more of the vehicles are traveling on, trafficconditions on a road that one or more of the vehicles are traveling on,or weather conditions affecting one or more of the vehicles. In someembodiments, based on these attributes being above and/or below athreshold amount, a length of time that a torque is reduced may bedetermined, an amount reduction in torque may be determined, apercentage of an amount of maximum torque to reduce by may bedetermined, etc. For example, an amount of reduction/limitation oftorque (or speed, power, acceleration, etc.) may be based on an amountof time (e.g., a predicted amount of time it will take for the gap toreturn to a desired amount). Further, in one or more embodiments, atorque commanded by a front vehicle may be increased to maintain a gap.For example, vehicle's may be traveling downhill and torque may beincreased to maintain a gap. In such a case, in some embodiments, anamount of engine break (retarder) may be limited.

As additional examples, limiting and/or reducing torque in a frontvehicle may be caused by one or more of a front or read vehicle's:latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, speed, longitudinal and lateralacceleration, relative angle, type of load (e.g., type of materials avehicle is carrying), position in a platoon, brake status, brakepressure, path history, path projection, travel plans, vehicle size,vehicle type, brake type, current operating mode (at least partiallyautonomous or manual), map data, traffic information, GPS augmentationinformation (e.g., delays from infrastructure), wheel speed, wheeltorque, gross torque, net torque, amount of wind it is traveling in,amount of rain it is traveling in, amount of liquid on a road it istraveling on, infotainment system, suspension, axle weight(s),transmission status, battery, electronic throttle control, throttlepedal, brake pedal, power steering, adaptive cruise control, a blowout,retarder, anti-lock brakes, emergency braking, engine governor,powertrain, gear ratio, wheel size, wheel type, trailer length, trailertype, trailer height, amount of trailers, trailer position, currenttrailer position, past trailer position, tractor type, tractor height,transceiver type, current fuel, next planned stop, projected milesremaining until fuel tanks are empty, malfunctions, turn signals, LIDAR,radar, ultrasonic sensors, tire pressure, cabin temperature, enginetemperature, trailer interior temperature, camera, etc.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments. In FIG. 4, front vehicle 410 is platooning withrear vehicle 420 on a flat road. As can be seen, front vehicle 410 istraveling at 55 miles per hour (mph), and rear vehicle 420 is travelingat 55 mph. Thus, the rate of change of the gap (which in this case is 20meters) is 0 mph.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments. In this FIG., front vehicle 410 reaches a hill.In systems and methods described herein, front vehicle 410 may becommanding 100% of its available torque, and thus cannot maintain itsspeed when it reaches the hill. As such, front vehicle 410 may slow to50 mph as it begins to travel uphill. In this example, rear vehicle 420is still traveling at 55 mph and commanding 100% of its availabletorque. It should be understood that the speeds of front vehicle 410 andrear vehicle 420 are examples only, and may be greater or smaller thanillustrated. For example, front vehicle 410 may only slow by one or twomph, rather than 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example illustrates an example of two platooningvehicles, in accordance with some embodiments. In this FIG., in responseto front vehicle 410 slowing, rear vehicle 420 slows to maintain adesired gap. In this example, because the speed of front vehicle 410 wasreduced to 50 mph, rear vehicle 420 also slows to 50 mph, and the gapbetween front vehicle 410 and rear vehicle 420 remains at 20 meters.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments. In this example, because rear vehicle 420 hasslowed to 50 mph, when it reaches the hill it does not have the samemomentum front vehicle 410 had when it reached the hill at 55 mph. Thus,its speed is reduced to 45 mph, while front vehicle 410 continues totravel at 50 mph. This discrepancy in speeds between the vehicles causesthe gap to increase to 25 meters, in this example.

In some embodiments, rear vehicle 420 may change gears to reduce a gap.However, in some embodiments it may be preferable to have front vehicle410 slow down to reduce a gap.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments. Here, the torque (or speed, acceleration, power,etc.) of front vehicle 410 is reduced and/or limited to allow the gap todecrease. As can be seen in example FIG. 8, front vehicle 410 hasreduced its speed to 40 mph, while the speed of rear vehicle 420 remainsat 45 mph. Thus, the gap returns to its desired amount. As describedelsewhere herein, it should be understood that either vehicle maycommand and/or control the speed and/or torque of the other vehicle viaa wireless connection (also referred to as a wireless link).

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of two platooning vehicles, in accordancewith some embodiments. Here, since the gap was reduced and its desiredamount was achieved (in FIG. 8), the front vehicle 410 is able to onceagain travel at a faster speed, rear vehicle 420 also travels at thatspeed (55 mph in this example), and the gap is maintained at its desiredamount—as in FIG. 4 where front vehicle 410 and rear vehicle 420 weretraveling on a flat road before they reached the hill.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow chart of an example process, in accordancewith some embodiments. While the various steps in the flowchart ispresented and described sequentially, one of ordinary skill willappreciate that some or all of the steps can be executed in differentorders and some or all of the steps can be executed in parallel.Further, in one or more embodiments of the invention, one or more of thesteps can be omitted, repeated, and/or performed in a different order.Accordingly, the specific arrangement of steps shown in FIG. 10 shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. In one or moreembodiments, the steps of FIG. 10 can be performed by example systems100, 200, 300, and/or 1000.

At step 1002, a communication link is established between a firstvehicle and a second vehicle (which may include communication viainfrastructure, a base station, the cloud, etc.). This communicationlink may be established at any point in time (e.g., before vehiclesstart platooning, before vehicles are even within eyesight of eachother). This link may allow vehicles to transfer information such as anumber of RPMs an engine is spinning at, an amount of torque beingproduced by one or more vehicles, the size of a gap between the firstvehicle and the second vehicle, information from sensors located on thefirst vehicle and/or the second vehicle, information from a platooningelectronic control unit, a gear ratio a vehicle is in, a gear ratio avehicle is changing to, a gear ratio a vehicle was at before changinggears, etc. Additional vehicle attributes discussed above may also betransmitted between two or more vehicles.

At step 1004, an amount of torque (e.g., available torque, which may beengine torque or another type of torque) being commanded (or controlled)by both the first vehicle and the second vehicle is received. Thisinformation may be received at the first vehicle and/or the secondvehicle. The first vehicle and/or the second vehicle may be controllingone another. In some embodiments, more than two vehicles may be includedin the platoon. In one or more of the embodiments, the vehicles may notbe platooning at all.

At step 1006, the amount of torque being commanded (or controlled) by afront vehicle (which may be the first vehicle or the second vehicle), isreduced. This may be caused by one or more of: an amount of torque beingcommanded (or controlled) by the front and/or rear vehicle being aboveand/or below a threshold amount; the front vehicle decelerating due to achange of road grade (e.g., when the front vehicle begins traveling overa hill); and a gap between the first vehicle and the second vehicleincreasing (e.g., beyond a threshold value). Such a threshold value maybe a desired gap amount, an amount within two bounds of a desired gap,etc. In some embodiments the torque being commanded by the front vehiclemay be limited instead of, or in addition to being reduced. In someembodiments, a cruise control system may be used, at least in part, toreduce an amount of torque being commanded by the front vehicle. In someembodiments, the amount of being commanded by the front vehicle may bereduced in response to a signal received by the rear vehicle. In someembodiments, such a signal may be sent to a front vehicle in response tothe rear vehicle sensing that the front vehicle is decelerating and/or achange (increase and/or decrease) in a road grade (e.g., a road gradethat at least the rear vehicle is about to travel over).

As described above, in some embodiments a front vehicle's torque may belimited to reduce a gap with or without an increase in road grade. Forexample, if a rear vehicle cannot travel faster than it currently is(e.g., due to an aspect of its system or a speed limit), then a frontvehicle may need to have its torque limited/reduced to shrink the gap.In some embodiments, a speed limit may be provided to one or more of afront and rear vehicle via a NOC or other remote device. In someembodiments, a speed limit may be sensed by a vehicle (e.g., via camera)or entered by a user (e.g., a driver or a user of a remote terminal). Inresponse to the determination of a speed limit, or another reason a rearvehicle cannot speed up (and/or one or more of the vehicles commanding athreshold amount of torque), the front vehicle's torque may be reducedsuch that the gap shrinks. Once at, or substantially at (e.g., within 1,2, 3, 4, or 5 meters) a desired gap, a front vehicle's torque mayincrease (e.g., the front vehicle may return to its speed prior to thetorque/speed limiting). In some embodiments, a front vehicle's torquemay stop being limited/increase such that both vehicles are traveling ata speed limit at the time the desired gap is achieved.

Embodiments described herein may be discussed in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions residing on some form ofcomputer-readable storage medium, such as program modules, executed byone or more computers or other devices. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer-readable storage media may comprise non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media and communication media; non-transitorycomputer-readable media include all computer-readable media except for atransitory, propagating signal. Generally, program modules includeroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., thatperform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.The functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributedas desired in various embodiments.

This disclosure contains numerous references to a NOC and to one or moreprocessors. According to various aspects, each of these items mayinclude various kinds of memory, including non-volatile memory, to storeone or more programs containing instructions for performing variousaspects disclosed herein.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, example computing system 1100 mayinclude one or more computer processor(s) 1102, associated memory 1104(e.g., random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory, read onlymemory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or anyother medium that can be used to store the desired information and thatcan be accessed to retrieve that information, etc.), one or more storagedevice(s) 1106 (e.g., a hard disk, a magnetic storage medium, an opticaldrive such as a compact disk (CD) drive or digital versatile disk (DVD)drive, a flash memory stick, etc.), and numerous other elements andfunctionalities. The computer processor(s) 1102 may be an integratedcircuit for processing instructions. For example, the computerprocessor(s) may be one or more cores or micro-cores of a processor. Thecomputing system 1100 may also include one or more input device(s) 1110,such as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, touchpad, electronicpen, or any other type of input device. Further, the computing system1100 may include one or more output device(s) 1108, such as a screen(e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, touchscreen,cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, or other display device), aprinter, external storage, or any other output device. The computingsystem 1100 may be connected to a network 1114 (e.g., a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, mobilenetwork, or any other type of network) via a network interfaceconnection 1118. The input and output device(s) may be locally orremotely connected (e.g., via the network 1112) to the computerprocessor(s) 1102, memory 1104, and storage device(s) 1106.

One or more elements of the aforementioned computing system 1100 may belocated at a remote location and connected to the other elements over anetwork 1114. Further, embodiments of the invention may be implementedon a distributed system having a plurality of nodes, where each portionof the invention may be located on a subset of nodes within thedistributed system. In one embodiment of the invention, the nodecorresponds to a distinct computing device. Alternatively, the node maycorrespond to a computer processor with associated physical memory. Thenode may alternatively correspond to a computer processor or micro-coreof a computer processor with shared memory and/or resources.

For example, one or more of the software modules disclosed herein may beimplemented in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computingenvironments may provide various services and applications via theInternet (e.g., the NOC). These cloud-based services (e.g., software asa service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service, etc.) maybe accessible through a Web browser or other remote interface.

Communication media can embody computer-executable instructions, datastructures, and program modules, and includes any information deliverymedia. By way of example, and not limitation, communication mediaincludes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection,and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, andother wireless media. Combinations of any of the above can also beincluded within the scope of computer-readable media.

While the foregoing disclosure sets forth various embodiments usingspecific block diagrams, flowcharts, and examples, each block diagramcomponent, flowchart step, operation, and/or component described and/orillustrated herein may be implemented, individually and/or collectively,using a wide range of hardware, software, or firmware (or anycombination thereof) configurations. In addition, any disclosure ofcomponents contained within other components should be considered asexamples because many other architectures can be implemented to achievethe same functionality.

The embodiments disclosed herein may also be implemented using softwaremodules that perform certain tasks. These software modules may includescript, batch, or other executable files that may be stored on acomputer-readable storage medium or in a computing system. Thesesoftware modules may configure a computing system to perform one or moreof the example embodiments disclosed herein. One or more of the softwaremodules disclosed herein may be implemented in a cloud computingenvironment.

While this disclosure has been described in terms of several aspects,there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and equivalentswhich fall within the scope of this disclosure. In view of the manyalternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of thepresent disclosure, it is intended that the following appended claims beinterpreted to include all such alterations, modifications,permutations, and substitute equivalents as falling within the truescope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for determining an amount of torque at apower plant of a platooning vehicle, comprising: establishing acommunication link between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, whereinthe first vehicle and the second vehicle are platooning; receiving, atan electronic control unit in one of the first vehicle and the secondvehicle, an amount of available torque being commanded by both the firstvehicle and the second vehicle; and in response to the amount of theavailable torque being commanded by both the first vehicle and thesecond vehicle being above a threshold value, the first vehicledecelerating due to a change of road grade, and a gap between the firstvehicle and the second vehicle increasing: reducing the amount of torquebeing commanded by the first vehicle.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe amount of available torque being commanded by the first vehicle istransmitted to the second vehicle via the communication link.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is in the secondvehicle.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unitis a platooning electronic control unit.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the amount of the available torque being commanded by both thefirst vehicle and the second vehicle is above 95%.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the gap between the first vehicle and the secondvehicle increases at least in part in response to the second vehicledetermining that first vehicle is decelerating.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein the gap between the first vehicle and the second vehicleincreases at least in part in response to the first vehicle determiningthat it is decelerating.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing theamount of torque being commanded by the first vehicle is performed by acruise control system.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:increasing the amount of torque being commanded by the first vehicle inresponse to the gap returning to a desired amount.
 10. A method forcausing vehicles to travel with a desired gap between them, comprising:receiving, at a first vehicle via a wireless connection from a secondvehicle, an amount of torque being commanded by the second vehicle; inresponse to: (1) the amount of torque of the first vehicle and thesecond vehicle being above a threshold amount; and (2) a gap between thevehicles increasing; causing the second vehicle to reduce its speed suchthat the desired gap is achieved.
 11. The method of claim 10, whereinthe gap between the vehicles is the desired gap prior to the gap betweenthe vehicles increasing.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the secondvehicle reduces its speed by reducing an amount of torque produced byits engine.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the amount of torque isan available amount of torque, and wherein the threshold amount is athreshold available amount.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the gapbetween the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined by asensor on the first vehicle.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the gapbetween the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined by asensor on the second vehicle.
 16. A method for determining a desiredamount of torque in a lead vehicle based at least in part on informationabout the follow vehicle, comprising: determining an amount of gapbetween the lead vehicle and the follow vehicle; determining whether theamount of gap is a desired amount; in response to the amount of gapbeing above the desired amount, determining the desired amount of torquein the lead vehicle to cause the amount of gap between the lead vehicleand the follow vehicle to reach the desired amount; and reduce an amountof torque in the lead vehicle to the determined desired amount oftorque.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the desired amount of torquein the lead vehicle is further determined based on an amount of torquebeing commanded by the lead vehicle and the follow vehicle.
 18. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising: determining a speed limit,wherein the desired amount of torque in the lead vehicle is furtherdetermined based on the determined speed limit.
 19. The method of claim16, further comprising: increasing the amount of torque in the leadvehicle in response to the amount of gap substantially reaching thedesired amount.
 20. The system of claim 16, further comprising: inresponse to reducing the amount of torque in the lead vehicle, disablinga driver's ability to control the amount of torque in the lead vehicle.